“You have to know math in order to teach math.” – Tim Sass, Calder 2012
Archive for the ‘Research’ Category
Math Instruction, Teacher Preparation, and the Common Core State Standards
January 29th, 2012
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From a Teacher’s Perspective: Test, Test, and then Test Some More
February 9th, 2011
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by Stuart Singer, The Teacher Leader There are few lightning rods in the educational landscape of 2011 that rival the debate on the role of testing in the evaluation of student, teacher and school performance. However, another perspective on this topic was addressed in a recent Mel Riddile post which discussed research indicating that frequent [...]
PISA: What School Leaders Need To Know
December 9th, 2010
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I hesitate to address the sensitive topic of international comparisons with school leaders who have to face the reality of leading schools on a day-to-day basis. However, I wasn’t subjected to the kind of attacks on public schools, teachers, and principals that we have experienced of the past year. In the past, when NAEP or [...]
Experience doesn’t matter?
November 22nd, 2010
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"The claim that experience doesn’t matter is flat-out wrong."–Matthew Di Carlo I don’t know about you, but I want an experienced airline pilot in command when I fly home in a few days. I also want an experienced physician and an experienced dentist. In fact, I can’t think of any set of circumstance in which [...]
Does Math Really Pay? A Broader Perspective
November 13th, 2010
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by Stuart Singer, The Teacher Leader When I read Mel Riddile’s discussion of the value of a math education my immediate response was to cheer. For years I told my students and their parents that obtaining a degree in math was the pathway to financial success. The Wall Street Journal chart provided in the post [...]
It’s National Principals Month! Go to the Rubber Room!
October 5th, 2010
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“Districts have to treat principals like they expect them to lead.”—The District Leadership Challenge It’s October and it is National Principal’s Month. Congratulations, fellow principals! However, I’m confused. Are we actually honoring principals at the same time that the national plan for school reform is to fire principals first and fire principals often? I have [...]
Way Too Many Misconceptions
September 7th, 2010
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by Stuart Singer, The Teacher Leader As everyone knows by now, the Los Angeles United School District decided to publish a list ranking all of the system’s 6,000 elementary school teachers based on students’ standardized test results. One of the most prominent proponents of the proposal was Secretary of Education Arne Duncan who said that [...]
Truth or Dare
September 2nd, 2010
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by Stuart Singer, The Teacher Leader As the 2010 political season heats up, the nation’s unemployment rate has become a key issue. The discussion typically revolves around how the future of elected officials will be ultimately determined by the public’s assessment of the jobs situation in the country. Arguments abound as to the causes. Some [...]
Now That’s What I Call A Dropout Factory
August 28th, 2010
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High schools make the “dropout factory” list when then they have a 60% or lower cohort graduation rate over four years. Now, colleges and universities are under the microscope, and based on Jay Mathews report on a Washington Monthly article, they should be. While encouraging my students to take a rigorous course of study in [...]
Should We Favor High Schools?
August 16th, 2010
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Sarah Garland wonders out loud why a disproportionate number of high schools are involved in the turnaround grant program. She is asking the right questions, but the answers she received don’t tell the whole story. These grants may, in fact, be a case of too little too late. I thought that it might help to [...]
